Mail handling tables



March 13, 1956 M. L. BEYER MAIL HANDLING TABLES 4 SheetS Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1952 INiIZENTOR. um

March 13, 1956 Filed Sept. 16, 1952 M. L. BEYER MAIL HANDLING TABLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 13, 1956 M. L. BEYER 2,738,051

MAIL HANDLING TABLES Filed Sept. 16, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V N TOR.

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March 13, 1956 M. L. BEYER MAIL HANDLING TABLES Filed Sept. 16. 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 wlllllnlllll.

IN V EN TOR.

2,738,051 MAIL HANDLING TABLES Millard L. Beyer, Hempstead, N. Y., assignor to The International Postal Supply Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 16, 1952, Serial No. 309,877

' Claims. (Cl. 198-34) This invention relates to a table provided ,with a novel conveying belt system particularlydesigned for. handling mailv v An object of the inventionisthe provision of a novel manually fed conveying belt system for a mailhandling table adaptedto feed envelopes without jammingathigh speed to one or more high speed, cancelling and-envelopes stacking devices. i t

Another object of the invention is the provision of a reversely driven belt arrangement cooperating with the conveyor belt effective to eliminate occasional jamming and mutilation of envelopes which .occu'rs when conven tional conveyor belts are fed with envelopes in excess of their capacity. t j

Envelopes are dumped from mail bags onto the table and sorted rapidly by men into groups of long envelopes and short envelopes of conventional length. The latter are usually inserted into slots singly orin bunches which pockets only admit envelopes less thanthe length of the slots. The envelopes then drop onto a flat horizontal conveying belt which carries them to the end of the table. Over the mid-portion of the belt, clear of the same and extending for the length of the belt is a partition which divides the belt into two longitudinal sections, one for the short envelopes and the other for long envelopes.

Overlying the latter portion of the belt isa slot extending for the length of the table which. permits envelopes of any length to be dropped. thereon. The outer wall of this. slot adjacent the edge of the table issuppOrted-by hinges permitting the Wall to be swung down to give free access to the belt to clear the same in case envelopes become jammed thereon. 3

It has been. customary for men to keep removing the; envelopes ejected by the belt and feeding them manuallyto cancelling machines. With this former practice,'the belt conveyor just referred to was adequate.

ice

-Fig. shows in elevation a mail distributing table, together with part of the belt conveyor system therefor; Fig. 3 shows enlarged details of a portion of the plan 5 view of the table;

which is driven. by a suitable motor, not shown. motor may be connected with other driven elements of Fig. 4 shows in section details of a second modification of the invention for long and short envelopes;

Fig. 5 shows partly in section an end view of the con-,

veyor belt system and table; a

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken through 66 of Fig. 3; I 5 j t Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken through 7--7 of vFig. 4;

Fig. 8 is generally similar to Fig. 6 except that dual V-belts are used, and j ,Fig. 9 is generally similar to Fig. 7 except that a pair of V-belts are shown on each side of the guideways.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the table comprises a flat smooth upper surface 10 of heavy ferrous metal having a depending plate 17 secured near the opposite edges thereof shown in Fig. 5. Plates 17 are attached by bolts 12 or by any other suitable means to 'the table legs 13, Fig. 2. Though not shown in detail arms. Near the lower end of each of these arms; a roller 20 is supported in suitable bearings formed in the arms. The rollers support one or more conveyor belts 21. The upper effective part of the conveyor belt 21 rides on blocks of wood 22 which keep this run of the belt flat The end portion ofthe conveyor belt or belts are supported by being looped about rollers 23 and 24, one of This the table about tobe described, in the conventional manner. j v I Inthe embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 duplicate conveying apparatus is provided on opposite sides of the table which is of such length that eight men may work on each side of the table. These men arrange the envelopes and deposit the same on the belt or belts in accordance with their length, the stamps being positioned at the lower leading edge of the envelopes and facing the outer edge of the table so that they will be fed in the direction of roller 24 with their stamps uniformlypositioned in order that the cancelling machine such as described in the above-mentioned application will invariwhich may include cancelling devices, one part of which processes shortenvelopes and the other long envelopes adapted to be fed directly from the conveyor belt and the. latter must operate at higher speed to utilizethe full capacity of the dual canc'ellingl and stacking machine. This device is described in the joint application of Millard L. Bey,er and Ernest Persson, Ser. No. 2 73,630,filed February 27, 1952. In order to prevent interruptions due to jamming of the envelopes, the present invention provides a novel belt combination which includes'belts positioned to engage the sides of the envelopes with a small amount of friction, the belts running inthe direction opposite to that of the flat conveyor belt on which the longitudinal edges of the envelopes rest. t

The invention will now be described with lthe aid of the accompanying drawings, of which I g v Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a table according to a preferred embodiment of the invention providedwith ably imprint the cancelling mark over the stamp. In case the envelopes are'fed directly to a stacking device,

' this method of operation makes it possible to take themv directly from the stacker and feed them manually in to a separate cancelling device without further rearrangement of the envelopes.

Conveyor belt roller 24 is preferably mounted on a suitable bracket 25 which supports the roller and the eject end portion of the conveyor belt some distance beyond the end of the table. This extending portion of the belt is intended to be used as part of the feeding mechanism of a dual cancelling and stacking unit such as described in the. above-mentioned application or the dual stacker unit .shown schematically in the drawings. The conveyor belt is supported and kept from sagging by a series of spaced brackets'14 and the rollers 20 and the wood blocks carried thereby. i

As shown in connection with the frontconveyor belt in Fig. 2 the right hand roller 23 therefor is laterally adjustable to maintain the belt at a desired tension by a screw arrangement, 30 attached to the roller support. In this figure at the right hand end of the table the eXtendin i portionofthe rear conveyor==belt.is shown. p

A side view of a dual stacker unit 31 is shown schematically at the left hand end of the table in Fig. 2 and at the right hand end of the drawing in Fig. l. A portion of a similar stacking unit is also shown at the left hand end of the table in this figure.

As will be described in detail further on, there is a longitudinal partition 32 extending along each single conveyor belt of these figures which divides the belt into two longitudinal sections, one for long envelopes and the other for envelopes of the ordinary size. This partition may be a fiat vertical plate 32 shown in Fig. 6 which provides an inner common side for the guideways for both long and short envelopes where V-belts are used only in connection with the outer guideways. Where one or more V-belts are used in connection with the central partition, the latter is constructed in the nature of a longitudinal housing for enclosing the V-belt pulleys and having sides suitably shaped for guideways.

Any of these centrally disposed guideways terminate near the end of the table and connect up with or are continued by elongated vertical plate 35, Fig. 1, which overlies the extended mid-section of the eject portion of either cooperating dual or single conveyor belts. Plate 35 is part of the detachable dual stacker unit and serves to guide and keep separate long and short envelopes. Likewise plate 35 could be part of a combined dual endorsing and stacking device disclosed in the above-mentioned application.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 flat plates 36 and 37 are pivoted to the outer end of vertical plate 35. These plates are lightly spring loaded in such direction as to press their outer ends away from each other in the direction of shields 38 and 39 formed of thin metal which fit over pulleys 40 and 41 indicated by dotted lines. These pulleys which are similar for each section of the stacker unit shown carry horizontal relatively narrow V-belts spaced above the conveyor belt so as to engage the sides of any envelopes coming into contact therewith and urge the same forward while cooperating with the hinged plates 36 and 37 to keep the envelopes travelling on their edges. The latter V-belts are not shown since they are partially concealed by the associated pulley shields. Just beyond pulleys 40 and 41 is a driven pulley 42 partly concealed by the adjacent shield 38 or 39. This pulley cooperates with an idler pulley 44 mounted in the known manner on yielding arms. This arrangement separates the envelopes so that they pass therebetween one at a time to the associated star wheel of the dual stacker unit. Shield 45 covers a pair of so-called star wheels of a known kind, 47 for the long envelopes and 46 for the short envelopes. The star wheels operate in the usual manner, kicking the individual envelopes outward one at a time against sliding stop plates 50 or 51 until there is an accumulation of envelopes in the baskets 52 or 53 formed by an assembly of spaced rods. As the stacked envelopes fill up the baskets, attendants remove them and push the sliding plates 50 and 51 back to an initial position adjacent the star wheels where they are again pushed back as fresh envelopes are urged outward by the respective star wheels.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 3, and 6 in which a conveyor belt 21 is divided into two longitudinal sections 55 and 56 by a longitudinal upright plate 32. Overlying the belt section 56 is a series of spaced envelope pockets 57 having slanting walls 58 overlying the conveyor belt in spaced relation therewith to provide room for a horizontal reversely driven V-belt 59 supported by pulleys 60. The pockets are preferably substantial castings having an inner portion secured to the table with the upper edge flush with the top surface of the table. The inner portion of the pockets are provided with depending slanting flanges which may be attached to the table structure by heavy screws or bolts, not shown. The longitudinal plate 32 which forms a joint central guideway between both belt portions is supported by a molding 62 and depending plates 63. The moulding projects upward beyond the top surface 10 of the table to aid in sliding bunches of envelopes into the pockets.

The outer side of the guideway for the long envelopes includes a long guiding plate 65 mounted in spaced relation with the outer edge portion of section 55 of conveyor belt 21. Plate 65 is supported by or formed integrally with a long wide substantially upright plate 66, bent outwardly at 67 so as to be spaced from and substantially enclose various ones of the belts. Plate 66 is attached by a series of hinges 68 to a corresponding series of brackets 70 fastened by bolts 12 or other suitable means to the legs of the table just below the structure supporting conveyor belt 20. A latch, not shown, is provided to hold plate 66 and the parts attached thereto in their normal upright position. When the latch is released plate 66 may be swung outward and downward to permit access to the belts.

Referring to Fig. 6, a pair of vertical arms 75 and 76 are part of a bracket, not completely shown, which is fastened to the side of the table. The bracket extends outward between the upper and lower parts of the conveyor belt 21.

Each of the arms 75 or 76 supports a vertical spindle 77 or 78 on which one or more pulleys are mounted. In Fig. 6 one pulley 79 or 80 is mounted on each spindle. There is a row of pulleys 79 and 80 and each row supports a V-belt 81 or 82. The inner surface of the V-belts extends slightly beyond the fixed portions of the guideway associated therewith so as not to interfere with the insertion of the envelopes into the guideway. The V-belts 81 and 82 are driven by any suitable means, preferably through mechanism connected with a common driving motor, not shown, in a direction opposite that of the conveyor belt for the purpose of lightly engaging envelopes coming into contact therewith, to retard momentarily feeding of the same in the direction of the conveyor belt to break up and more evenly distribute bunches of envelopes deposited in the guideway to prevent jamming of the same on the conveyor belt. In each of the various embodiments of the invention shown herein the space between the fixed portions of the guideway is narrow compared to the width of a conventional envelope, the sides of the guideways supporting the envelopes in an approximately upright position so that they are fed along to the stacker apparatus riding on one of their longitudinal edges.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a single conveyor belt provided with V-belts according to Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 shows an arrangement generally similar to that of Fig. 6 except that spindles 77 and 78 carry two pulleys 85 and 86 which carry an additional set of V-belts 87 and 88 in spaced relation to V-belts 81 and 82.

Fig. 7 shows a slightly different embodiment to those just described in which a pair of conveyor belts 90 and 91 are used, one for short envelopes and the other for long envelopes, as in the case of belt 21. Both conveyor belts may feed envelopes into a dual stacker, or a combined dual endorsing machine and stacker attached to the end of the table, the extended section of the belts serving as part of the feeding mechanism for the dual envelope processing device already referred to.

A plurality of spaced brackets 9 extending between the conveyor belt loops is attached to the side of the table by any suitable means not shown. Bracket 9 is formed with three upwardly projecting arms 91, 92 and 93. The outer arms 91 and 93 of the bracket each carry vertical spindles 94 and 95 on which are rotatably mounted pulleys 96 and 97 carrying V-belts 98 and 99. The pulleys are so dimensioned and mounted that the inner portions of both V-belts are approximately in register with the outer plate 65 of the outer guideway and the inner plate 100 of the inner guideway adjacent the table top. These outer V-belts function in the same manner as corresponding V-belts already described.

The conveyor belts are separated by a housing 101, the respective sides of which form inner guideways cooperating respectively with the plate 65 of the outer guideway and the part 100 of the inner guideway to guide and hold the envelopes so that they may ride on the respective conveyor belts 90 and 91 approximately upright with their lower longitudinal edges resting on the conveyor belts.

The inner upright arm 92 of bracket 9 has a plate 105 fixed to the top thereof. The plate carries near opposite ends thereof spindles 106 and 107. Each spindle carries a pulley 108 or 109. A V-belt 110 is carried by pulley 108 the outer surface of which projects slightly into the outer guideway. Similarly, pulley 109 carries a V-belt 111 the outer edge of which projects slightly into the inner guideway usually used for short envelopes. Both of these guideways are shown as open trough-like arrangements.

Belt 90 is shown as riding on a wooden block 112 to keep the upper surface of the belt flat. The belt is held in place by upright guide members 113 and 114. A similar arrangement is provided for the inner conveyor belt. The belts are preferably driven by conventional means from a common source of power, not shown, the V-belts travelling in the direction opposite to that of the flat conveyor belts.

Fig. 9 shows another embodiment of the invention using a pair of conveyor belts 90 and 91, the latter being used for short envelopes. In this embodiment of the invention no letter pockets are contemplated but instead two longitudinal troughs are formed by the spaced housings of the respective pulleys the adjacent sides of which are generally vertical, the troughs being positioned so as to overlie the respective conveyor belts. The vertical spindles 94, 95, 106 and 107 each support a pair of pulleys, 96, 120; 108, 121; 109, 122 and 97, 104. These pulleys carry driven V-belts arranged so that their adjacent surfaces form part ofthe associated guideway, the belts being so positioned as to extend only slightly into the guideways so as not to interfere with the depositing of envelopes either singly or in bunches on the conveyor belts.

The side 65 of the guideway is part of a housing 130 for pulleys 96 and 120. Housing 65 has an outer depending side portion 131 which may be mounted on hinges similar to 68 and brackets 70 attached to the table legs or to the side of the table for the purpose described above in connection with other embodiments of the invention.

The central pulley housing 132 is an inverted trough-like structure, attached to the table in any suitable manner. This housing encloses the inner pairs of pulleys 108-121 and 109-122. The housing 132 is formed with generally flat vertical sides 133 and 134 disposed over adjacent edge portions of belts and 91 each side of the housing providing one side of the respective envelope guideways. The drawing shows housing 132 supported by an upright central plate 135 one edge portion of which is attached by any suitable means not shown, to the bracket 90.

The upper surface of the inner housing is attached to the table flush with the top 10 thereof. A substantially vertical portion 141 of the inner housing 140 forms the innermost guide for short envelopes and partially encloses pulleys 14 and 124 each of which is provided with V-belts which are so positioned that their outer surfaces extend slightly beyond the fixed members of the associated guideway so as to engage the sides of the envelopes coming into contact therewith in two places to more positively distribute them more uniformly over the conveyor belt 91. The other V-belts function in the same manner.

Fig. 4 shows in plan the relative arrangement of two cooperating belts, the V-belts associated therewith and the guideways between the conveyor belts.

Preferably, as in the case of the previously described embodiments of the invention the dual conveyor belts are mounted so that a portion of the belts at their eject end extends beyond the end of the table to permit the extending portion to be used as part of the conveyor system of a dual cancelling and stacking device, or of a dual stacking device alone such as is schematically shown in the drawings. 7

While the various embodiments of the invention have been referred to as having the respective beltsdriven from a common source of power, it will be understood that individual motors or known variable speed drives may be used for the V-belts in order to adjust their speed. What is claimed is:

1. A table for manual mail distribution comprising a table surface, a flat conveyor belt on which one longitudinal edge of the respective envelopes rest disposed alongside and below the top of the table adjacent the edge thereof for feeding the envelopes in a predetermined direction, and other belt means disposed above the conveyor belt and running in the opposite direction to that of the conveyor belt for engaging the sides of the envelopes slightly to prevent them from becoming jammed on the conveyor belt.

2. A table for manual letter distribution comprising a table surface, a fiat conveyor belt on which one longitudinal edge of the envelopes deposited thereon are adapted to rest disposed below the table surface adjacent the edge thereof for feeding the envelopes in a predetermined direction, relatively narrow belts arranged adjacent opposite edges of the conveyor belt eifective to exert a relatively small degree of friction on the flat surfaces of the envelopes disposed above the upper surface of the conveyor belt and running in the opposite direction thereto for the purpose of spreading out groups of envelopes on the conveyor belt and prevent them from bunching and jamming.

3. A table for envelope distribution comprising a flat conveyor belt on which the envelopes rest disposed below the top of the table adjacent the edge thereof for feeding the envelopes in a predetermined direction, spaced guide means for supporting the envelopes in substantially upright position as they travel along the conveyor belt including belt means substantially co-extensive with the conveyor belt disposed above the conveyor belt and running in the opposite direction thereto for engaging the sides of the envelopes lightly coming into contact therewith and thereby serving to spread out bunches of envelopes on the conveyor belt and thus prevent them from jamming.

4. An envelope distributing table comprising an elongated table, bracket means attached to the table for supporting a pair of envelope conveyor belts alongside one side of the table, the inner belt being used to transport short envelopes and the outer for long envelopes, open guide means overlying the belts for maintaining the envelopes thereon on one of their longitudinal edges, and relatively narrow belts disposed above the conveyor belts and driven in the opposite direction thereto and forming part of the guide means for lightly engaging the sides of envelopes coming into contact therewith for spreading the envelopes out on the conveyor belt and perventing bunches of envelopes from becoming jammed thereon.

5. An envelope distributing table for use in large postofiices comprising a pair of rollers supported horizontally at one side of the table below the surface thereof, a pair of flat conveyor belts looped about the rollers and driven thereby and supported thereby in spaced relation, guiding means comprising metal plate structures partially overlying the respective belts so spaced as to cause the envelopes to ride on the conveyor belts on one of their longitudinal edges, one conveyor belt being used for envelopes of ordinary length and the other for long envelopes, a plurality of brackets fixed to the side of the table and extending outwardly therefrom between the conveyor belt loops, a plurality of vertical spindles carried by each spindle offset from the adjacent side of the guideway, V-belts forming part of the associated side of the guideways mounted on and driven by the pulleys in the direction opposite that of the conveyor belts for lightly engaging the fiat sides of the envelopes to distribute them more evenly over the conveyor belts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 323,799 Ethridge Aug. 4, 1885 8 Rehak May 6, Mack June 5, Beardsley Feb. 16, Needham Aug. 24, Beardsley et al. Nov. 30, Madeira Jan. 18, Sebastian Dec. 28, Rineer Ian. 18, 

